What would you do in live 1/2 NLHE game when reraised holding TPTK?

The details are:

Hero has about 215
UTG has about 200

Hero (my) table image is moderate and aggressive. UTGs table image is unremarkable.

You’re on the button holding AQs and every one limps to you. You raise 20 (at a table were 10-15 is the standard) and only UTG calls making the pot around 55. A rainbow flops comes down rag, rag, Q. UTG checks to you and you raise 40. UTG reraise to 80. How do you respond?

Always a sticky situation. It smells like either a set or KQ+. Would he expect you to c-bet it regardless of the flop? I would probably toss it here against an unremarkable/ordinary player. Against a solid LAG I'd shove. I hate playing these live games where a standard PFR is 10x. If he/she is a fish, you have to think like a fish. Mini-bet = strong.

This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but there was no reraise here. On the flop, you bet and he raised. There can be no reraise unless there is first a raise.

I think if I have no read on the player, since it's a live game I likely shove allin. If you have a read then you have more options. Calling is usually not an option, but I think against certain types of players it's ok because a certain type will let you know on the turn if they are serious or not. Against a random player though I think too often they will be overvaluing KQ and QJ. Sure for lots of players "minraise = strong," but to a lot of players they think KQ or QJ is outstanding in this spot.

In a live 1/2 game I would shove and expect to be snap called by Q2s.

really?
anytime anyone raises it's a push?
Please play me.

When we have top, top, yes. We're talking about a 1/2 LIVE game here. They play like .01/.02 online.

Maybe I've just been lucky and played in really good games, but here's what I think his range would be, and I think his range for calling the shove would be most of these hands too.

Text results appended to pokerstove.txt

1,490,940 games 0.026 secs 57,343,846 games/sec

Board: Qs 4c 8h
Dead:

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 72.035% 71.36% 00.67% 1063998 9999.00 { AQo }
Hand 1: 27.965% 27.29% 00.67% 406944 9999.00 { 22+, AQs, A8s, KQs, Q2s+, 84s, A8o, KQo, Q2o+, 84o }

you have top top, snapfistpumpshove

i'm not sure about that range... it's close, but does villain raise with pocket 2, 3,5,6,7? Maybe... but i'd think probably not.. come to think about it, you could probably scratch off every other PP above 8 because of the limp/call preflop, I would think... UTG with 99+ preflop?? there would be a raise I think...
the preflop raise is massive (I play 1/2NL live)... so I think we can scratch: Q2-Q8(s/o), 84(s/o),
I think A8 is borderline, as far as the preflop call and the min raise on the flop.

Even if your range is right, with by your calculations; with by far the best hand, why push? The only hand that's going to call is 2 pair or a set... MAYBE KQ... why not value bet him down?

$20's not a big raise with everyone limping to you on the button. UTG will be getting 2:1. If we cut his range down to 88,44,AQs,KQs,AQo,KQo though we're 50% equity, so if he's calling all of those hands then we should get it in now so an ace doesn't come and scare him off of KQ. If he's folding KQ we shouldn't shove. I don't think I've ever played in a 1/2 live game though where less than 7 players at the table would think they're trapping you with Q2 here and praying for you to shove. I've only played in Vegas though. Maybe that's the reason?

It'd be difficult to know what villain's outs are to know what cards need to be faded on the turn. If you call on the flop, there will be 80+80+55=215 in the pot with effective stacks at about 100. So on the turn the only legit bet would be allin anyway, but I'd rather get it in while I'm more confident I'm ahead.

Again, assuming we're playing with poor players, they are not considering pot odds... the 1/2 games that I've played are pretty loose/passive, filled with players that don't consider pot odds and only think about their own cards...

So, you're willing to flip a coin on the flop for fear of an ace peeling off on the turn?

This hasn't been my experience, but if that's true, and they called the preflop raise, then certainly push... but I can't see that happening.

If we get it allin every time here on the flop, or almost every time on the turn, but sometimes not when an ace comes, it is a clear shove on the flop. We'll win the pot half of the time if that's his range, but we're not just breaking even because there's already a pot out there.

The most important thing to understand in this situation is that you're committed. For those of you who read PNLH, you'll recognize that this is the a very good situation for TPTK. The preflop pot is $55 and the effective chip stack is $180. This yields a SPR (Stack-to-Pot-Ratio) of slightly over 3. This means that you should commit.

One of the posters said that this is a sticky situation and that he suspects a set. Nonsense. While a set is possible, you can't fold every time you suspect a set simply because the preflop pot is too large in relation to the size of the effect stack sizes.

If you choose not to commit, you give your opponent too much folding equity against you. Also you wold leave a big gap in your defense.

So we know that folding isn't the correct answer, but what is the correct response to his check raise? I don't know the answer because I don't know the exact situation you're in. However, in situation like this and against typical opponents, I'd prefer to just call and put value bets in on the turn and river. You can easily get all your chips in by the river (which you want) because the pot is big enough and the stacks are small enough to do so.

I really recommend reading "Professional No-Limit Hold'em." It explains in great detail how to identify the strength of your hand based on the SPR and wheather or not to commit.

Hope that helps.